Aftershock
by TakeYourPick123
Summary: After Emma sacrifices herself for Regina they are linked together like no one has been before. Regina must help Emma fight the darkness, but if she cant it could mean death for the both of them.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 -

There it was. The dagger. Laying there on the pavement as if no one had been standing there moments ago, and on it was a crudely chiseled name.

EMMA SWAN

"No.." came the weak voice of Snow White, who was still being clutched in David's arms. "NO! Emma no!" Her sobs were loud, and uncontrolled but no one cared.  
David held her tight as they both buckled to their knees.

"What do we do?! How do we get her back?!" Hook pleaded. The Charmings were inconsolable, so he turned his attention to Regina, and Robin. "You!, you have magic bring her back so we can fix her!" He almost yelled.  
Regina stood still in the arms of Robin. She was in shock, and Kilian shouting at her was not helping.

"She saved you for whatever reason so fix this!" the anger in his voice was clear now.

Regina felt a bit claustrophobic now, and pulled free of Hoods arms.

She moved forward, and with shaking hand picked up the dagger. The metal was cold, and although she knew no one else could feel it, the blade radiated with dark magic.

Kilian accosted Regina, making her shrink back, but before Hook made it too close Robin used his forearm and pushed the other man away. "Stand down! Nothing will be solved if you think attacking innocent people will fix this."

"Innocent?!, you can't be serious? She's more of a villain than I ever was. She's killed countless, and by letting Emma take her place she's killed again." The pirate seemed to be unreachable.

"Kilian, that is enough!" David came up behind Hook, and pulled him back.  
"You know as well as the rest of us that Emma is, and will always be the Savior, and she did what Saviors do, she saved Regina. She saved any one of us from becoming the Dark One. It is not Regina's fault or even her job to figure all this out. So lay off."

Regina walked along the street and by this time everyone started emerging from their homes, and shops. She hid the dagger beneath coat. Everyone was mumbling, and whispering to one another, and Regina knew what she must do as the Mayor.  
Robin caught up to her, and walked beside her.

Regina sighed. "Tomorrow i will send out a letter to everyone letting them know of Emma's sacrifice, and to also let them know that she is now The Dark One. If she makes herself known in this town, her family or I will be notified immediately. She is not to be trusted."

Robin thought about this for a moment. "Is she dangerous?" He asked

"I..Im honestly not sure. There is no way to tell how the pure light magic inside of her is handling this assault of total dark magic. For all we know shes fine, and the light can fight it off, but the latter to that is far worse. I just think for right now it is in the best interest of my people to keep their wits about them." Regina was close to her home now, and she more than anything just wanted to sleep.

Regina turned and faced her walking partner.

"Robin, this.. This whole thing could be seriously dangerous. Maybe.. it would be better..if.."

"...If roland and i get out of dodge, and let you, and the charmings figure this out?" Robin finished for her and looks of into the distance.

"yes."

"Well if you think it's best, Regina." He said smiling, and moved in to kiss her.

Regina turned her head. "Im still.. trying to get over what happened." Robin looked hurt. "but Regina I…" He started but she cut him off. "I don't know yet if I can excuse how quickly you moved on, Robin. I know you thought she was your wife, but she had also been dead for a few years, and..and what I thought we had, well it seemed very real to me. I'm sorry." Before Robin could speak a word Regina pushed past him, and up the pathway to her house.

The door slammed behind her as she used her weight to close it.  
The dagger fell from where it had been tucked into her jacket, and clattered to the ground. The harsh sound of steel on her tile entry way rang throughout the house.

Regina couldn't sleep. She didn't know why, but since she had laid down that night sleep had been evading her. It was a hopelessly restless feeling that she couldn't place. The dagger was tucked underneath her pillow, and she wondered if maybe that could be it. Was it the magic, or the whole night itself. The image of Emma thrusting the dagger into the cruel unforgiving darkness for her. something about that action had seared itself in Regina's memory. She would never forget the look in Emma's eyes. It was a look they had shared many times, but in the darkness of her room Regina could now think of it in it's entirety. They trusted one another, and she could see how truly sincere Emma was about giving her a chance at a true happy ending. Something Regina wanted more than anything but had never felt possible until the blonde came into her life.. maybe it..

A loud bang came from the kitchen taking Regina out of her thoughts.  
Regina's heart dropped and she immediately snatched the dagger from beneath her pillow.

Making her way down the stairs she made sure not to make a sound. Even if who ever was in her kitchen wasn't that careful. she could still hear movement. It sounded like the shuffling of feet.

Regina took a few breaths, then cautiously stepped into the kitchen. What she saw took her breath away.

Two deep golden glowing eyes stared at her from the other side of the kitchen island.

"Oh, Hey.." came the voice of the stranger.

"..E..Emma?" Regina said her eyes unconsciously welling up with tears.

"Yeah..It's me..You okay?" Emma asked.

"you idiot." Regina said with a half smile "You would be the one to sacrifice yourself then ask me how I am."

The soft chuckle came from across the room. Regina sighed, and moved to turn on the light.

"No!.. can, can we please just keep it off?" Emma nearly begged.

this startled Regina, and she pulled back her hand from the wall. "Very Well.. is everything alright? Should I call your parents?"

Emma leaned over and rested her elbows on the island top. "no.. not tonight. I..Regina i've been through hell.."  
"I'm here.." Regina said. Then she moved into the kitchen. "Lets have some coffee." 


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own OUAT….that is all.

Chapter 2 -

Regina sat two cups of dark roast coffee on the island, and stood opposite Emma. It was a about a four foot gap from herself to the blonde, but Regina felt a lot more than space between them.

"Here you go.." She said softly.

Emma had been sitting in completely silence while the Mayor made coffee. and Regina could only imagine the inner turmoil taking place within the blonde.

"Emma talk to me?" Regina urged cautiously.

Emma lifted her head, that had been resting in her hands, up as if she was waking from a dream where she was falling, then she sighed deeply.

Regina looked at the woman in front of her. Her glowing gold eyes were the clearest thing in the room. "Em, what was that?" she asked.

Emma cleared her throat. "It's uhm.. hard to explain.. Sometimes I space out, but it feels like i'm portal jumping. Then i see little snippets of the future. It's scary because some of the stuff i see is unpreventable things like sickness, and death, and accidents. Not all the stuff i see is bad, but you can guess which ones stick with you afterwards. I get the feeling that if i tried i could see more, but i dont want to so i fight it as much as possible."

Emma rolled her neck side to side and it popped a few times. "My whole body tenses up and it hurts like hell, but i'm sure that it's my light magic pushing away my dark magic.. like water and oil…"

Regina nodded, and reached out to touch Emma's hand. There was just barely enough light coming from the small incandescent lights under the cabinets. Emma thought that Regina most likely keeps them on at night to ward away intruders. The thought of Regina being afraid of something as real world as a break in made the blonde uneasy with dismay.

Emma took Regina's hand tightly. Her grip was gentle and her hand was smooth to the touch, and not scaly, or grimy like Rumple's had been.

This was peculiar to Regina.

"Regina I.. I've been in the enchanted forest for so long.."Emma sounded lost. "How old is Henry?"

This threw Regina off guard. "Emma? what do you mean? You've only been gone for maybe six hours?"

"No. That is impossible. I was stuck for nearly three years." Emma said. those worrying golden eyes turning to stare at Regina which took her breath away.

"I..Im not positive Em, but I think your perception of time is a bit warped now. It seems unreal but I promise you you have been gone only a little while." Regina reassured Emma the best she could.

Emma finally took a sip of her coffee, and a content sigh filled the room.

"This.. this is so good." The blonde said.

Regina smiled slightly. "It's only coffee. Not even the real stuff, just a store bought tin of ground mix..Oh! oh yeah you probably feel like you haven't had it in years."

Emma sat the cup back down, and eyed Regina. "Oh I see how it is! I risk my life for you, and you still give me the cheap stuff?"

If it had been anyone else who had said it Regina would have been offended, but Emma had a way of breaking through her walls. It also helped a bit that Emma flashed a charming smile. One that, in Regina's opinion, was most always under utilized. They both shared a chuckle.

Regina reached for the cup in Emma's hand. "Well i could just take it back then if you are displeased Dark One?"

Emma laughed, and moved the cup away. "No, No it's fine really. I just imagined that the infamous Evil Queen would have a little more class when entertaining guests!" To this Regina almost choked on her own coffee with laughter.

The women fought off a set of sleep deprived giggles. Both of them eliciting more out of the other with a glance; However, the fun was short lived when Emma suddenly cringed in pain, and accidentally knocked over her cup in a desperate attempt to brace herself against the island. "ah!..Not again!"

Regina immediately moved to Emma's side, and held her body. She was ready for this moment to be over. Ready to catch Emma if she fell. She would never ask Emma, but she wondered to herself what this vision was of. If it was of this town?, anyone she knew or will know? or maybe even another time, and realm.

A minute passes, and it feels like an eternity to her. Then as quickly as it started Emma's whole body relaxes, and she goes slack against Regina.

It takes a few moments before she rights herself. "I..Im sorry I.."

Regina stops her. "Emma no, it's perfectly fine. Are you okay?"

"That one was pretty bad, but i've had worse." Emma absentmindedly opened the drawer to her left and pulled out a rag to clean up the coffee she spilt. "Sorry about this."

Regina was already refilling the cup with coffee. "It's not a big deal." She said with a smile.

Emma confessed that the latest onslaught of dark power had really took it out of her and she asked if they could move to a sitting position.  
Regina of course obliged and escorted Emma to the sitting area adjacent to the dining room. There Emma took her spot at one of the couches, and Regina took the other.

the sat like that. enjoying one another's presence for a bit.

Emma broke the silence first. "Regina i need you to be honest. Did you summon me?"

Regina didn't even have to think about it. "No. I didn't. I really didn't know how you would be if I did. I didn't want to put anyone's life in danger. Why do you ask?"

Emma sat up straighter. "because I don't know how I got here. To you I mean."

"Strange..maybe I should do some research." Regina said her voice trailing off in thought.

Morning was rolling around, and the sun was starting to crown over the tree line. Regina took this opportunity to look at Emma. She was not as expected.  
Her skin was a bit tanner than it had been, and as far as scales go she had none. what she did have was thin jagged white lines that star bursted out from the edges of her eyebrows and her high cheekbones. They looked almost like White tattoos. Upon further inspection Regina realized they were scars. That were not self induced, nor were they inflicted. it was another Dark One anomaly. This gave light to a new theory that maybe the curse affected everyone differently.

"Emma, today we have to call your parents, and let them know you're here."

Emma nodded in agreement.

Regina sighed.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"Robin.." Regina said with a sad tone.

The tiny hairs on the back of Emma's neck bristled and the sound of his name.

"Oh? what about him?" The blonde said cooly.

"Last night I turned him away because of everything that's happened. I think maybe today I could meet him for coffee. talk everything over. I mean if he really is my happy ending how can i let him go so easily."

"He slept with your sister." Emma said harshly. Regina noticed something out of the corner of her eye but when she turned whatever it was stopped moving.

"Yes well he didn't know it was her." Regina replied. This time she kept close eye on Emma.

"Regina he moved on the second you were out of the picture, and then when you, THE WOMAN HE CLAIMED TO LOVE, told him his wife was an imposter he treated you like a jealous ex!" Emma roared.

Regina would've normally bit off the head of anyone who spoke her her like that, but she was currently grounded by the sight of Emma. Her scars had grown, and begun to pulsate a gold light. Starting from her eyes it glowed and pushed down her neck then her arms, and the rest of her body. Through the gold there were thick swirls of inky blackness.

The Good intentions were gold, but the darkness was clouding her good intentions with anger, and malice. Regina understood now. this was the plot of Emma Swan's story thickening. All of the Savior's good deeds begin with good intentions, but now with this new darkness fuelling the passion all of Emma's feelings could potentially throw her magical imbalance into chaos.

"Emma..it is more that imperative that you keep your cool." Regina said with authority.

The blonde slowly closed her eyes, and released the couch cushions from er clenched fists. she hadn't realized how angry she'd gotten.

Regina stood up, and grabbed the two coffee cups from the table with a heavy exhausted sigh.

Regina suddenly thought about how angry Emma had gotten when she found out about what Snow, and Charming had done to ensure her goodness. The thought of a redo of that while Emma was in this condition unsettled Regina.

"Maybe today is a bad day to talk to your parents." She said walking back to the kitchen quickly.

-  
Authors note! : Hey guys! the next chapter will feature Henry if any of you were going to ask. and Regina is going to talk to a couple people to try and get some help for Emma. 


End file.
